Bite Productions Presents PORPOISE POOL This Month

Bite Productions has announced its latest production, Porpoise Pool, by emerging playwright JoJo Zhou, which has been programmed as part of Belvoir's 25A program. A Bite Production will bring this magical world into the fishtank of the downstairs Belvoir space. Performances begin on 31 May for a 3-week season ending on 18 June.

Porpoise Pool tells the story of Lou, a young woman who has shed the skin of the high school dropout, troubled youth, teen mum she once was. So a leaking pipe, a too-smart Smart House AI, and a son she doesn't understand is nothing she can't handle. Or the albatross in the ceiling, the octopus under her couch, the way she swims in circles, round and round and round...

A tangled exploration of motherhood, childhood, and the way technology raises us, Porpoise Pool dives into the depths of Lou's past, journeying from shallow waters to the unknown deep, while Smart House Assistant named "House" - carer, confidant, and keeper - does whatever it takes to keep Lou content and complacent.

Playwright JoJo Zhou, emphasizes that Porpoise Pool is "a timely and relevant piece, which explores the nuanced role of a mother, especially when one enters motherhood at a young age, postnatal depression, gender roles and class dynamics". Having developed the work with the support of NIDA, Arts Out West/Playwriting Australia, and KXT, Zhou is excited to have this script brought to life in the Downstairs Theatre as part of 25A, a program known for supporting emerging artists, curating ambitious seasons, and celebrating rough magic.

Director Eve Beck, who is also the founder of Bite Productions, is thrilled to be working on this magic realist piece which plays with form in a really exciting way. She says, "Porpoise Pool's duel exploration of motherhood and technology allows the work to speak to timeless contemplations around the role and expectation of mothers. Whilst also being completely of the moment, with questions around the influence of AI on our lives, the needs that this technology fulfills for us, and how we raise technology, as it raises us."

Porpoise Pool will be brought to life by a stellar cast of five, lead by Meg Clarke as Lou, who has notably featured in Channel 7's Home and Away and New Ghosts Theatre's Iphigenia In Splott.. Jane Mahady, most recently appearing as Katya in Hulu's The Great and Bell Shakespeare's Hamlet, plays across Meg as the AI House. Familiar with unexpected parenthood is Carlos Sanson Jr who plays young father, Santi, in Stan Australia's Bump, though he will be displayed in a different light embodying the roles of Pete / Doctor / Seal in his onstage debut. Loretta Kung, most recently appearing in Netflix's Irreverent, also takes on a trio of roles as Mrs. King / Helen / Octopus. WAAPA graduate Luke Leong-Tay, who has numerous credits with Hayes Theatre Company, rounds out the cast as the father of Lou's child, Jonah.

The powerhouse company of Porpoise Pool are looking forward to presenting this ambitious new work on the Belvoir 25A stage. Don't miss this strictly limited season playing from 31 May - 18 June.

For more information, please visit https://belvoir.com.au/productions/porpoise-pool/

Details:

Dates: 31st May- 18th June 2023

Performance Times: Tues-Weds 6:45pm, Thurs- Sat 7:45pm, Sun- 5:15pm

Tickets: https://my.belvoir.com.au/overview/12771

Venue: Belvoir Downstairs Theatre

Credits:

Director Eve Beck

Playwright JoJo Zhou

Cast Meg Clarke, Jane Mahady, Luke Leong-Tay, Loretta Kung and Carlos Sanson Jr

Sound Designer Clare Hennessy

Set Designer Soham Apte

Lighting Designer Tyler Fitzpatrick

Costume Designer Lily Mateljan

Stage Manager Pip Haupt

Producers Sonia Dodd and Claire Ferguson

Marketing Support Kira Leiva

Photo Credit: Roger Stonehouse

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